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Spirit of the Word - Covenant Eschatology - Introductory Note - New Stuff
Taken from The Heavens Declare-Part 6 by Preston EbyThe Virgin and the Harlot
title by web ed.The reality that lies behind what is commonly known today as horoscopes and behind the common signs of the Zodiac is an original revelation designed by God -- a revelation not of pagan mythology or superstitious powers, but of the wonderful truths of God's grand and glorious plan of the ages through His anointed Christ, written in the very stars of heaven--this fact being attested to by the faithful testimony of the scriptures "which are able to make thee wise unto salvation" (II Tim. 3:15). In these twelve celestial signs we have enshrined for us like jewels in a velvet case, the twelve great heavenly laws or principles which we are to pass through and master while we walk our foreordained path on this planet. Each one of the twelve signs embodies a Kingdom of Heaven principle taught in symbol and ritual under the Old Testament administration, and now fulfilled spiritually in Cod's elect. It points to a wonderful progression as we begin in Genesis with the promised Seed of the woman (Virgo) and end in the book of Revelation with LEO, the conquering Lion of the tribe of Judah! Just as the sun passes through each of the twelve signs of the Zodiac in the course of a year, so must we experientially partake of the reality pictured by each sign in our progressive transformation into HIS likeness.
The first sign, as we pointed out in our last Study, is Virgo. The sun occupies Virgo for forty-three days, passing through it from September 14th to October 29th. This group of stars is associated with the picture of a young woman with an ear of wheat in one hand and a branch in the other. In Hebrew she is called BETHULAH, which means "virgin," just as VIRGO, from Latin, means "the virgin." Everywhere her name is the same. The wheat and the branch in her hands denote fruitfulness --offspring, motherhood. It will not be difficult for any man to see that this is a picture right out of the Bible --A VIRGIN BRINGING FORTH A SEED! In that long ago Eden the almighty Father spoke the first promise of a Redeemer to the erring man and his wife when He gave the blessed assurance, "And I will put enmity between thee (the serpent) and the woman, and between THY SEED and HER SEED; IT shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel" (Gen. 3:15). HISTORICALLY this is Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary, living, dying, and rising again in triumph over death, hell and the grave, opening up the wellspring of eternal salvation to all who would believe. SPIRITUALLY it is the Son of God birthed in us, brought forth unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ out of our own "virgin" relationship with God, conquering the sin, sickness, sorrow and death is us. PROPHETICALLY it points to the manchild of Revelation 12, that glorious company of the many-membered firstfruits Christ, the MANIFESTED SONS OF GOD, birthed out of the mother Church, the pure virgin bride of Jesus Christ, for whom all creation is in deepest travail and who shall deliver the creation from the bondage of corruption.
VIRGO means the VIRGIN, or the untouched one, the one of undefiled soul. Mary the mother of Jesus, was a virgin when she conceived and bore her divine Son, although she was betrothed (espoused, engaged) to Joseph and under the law of those times was considered his wife. Of the true Church Paul said, "I have espoused (engaged) you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste VIRGIN to Christ" (II Cor. 11:2). Why was Paul so jealous that this little virgin keep herself pure? Ah--Paul had a revelation that from this woman, or virgin Church, the Lord was going to bring forth His seed. Even in the natural a man cannot bring forth a child apart from a woman, so also in the spiritual. God must have a woman that He can plant His life in. She is going to bring forth in these last days, a many-membered manchild that will grow up to the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ, and shall be caught up to the throne. And during that blessed age of the Kingdom of God these sons shall be manifested as that ultimate promised seed that God told Abraham would come forth, who would rule and reign in the earth, solve all the world's problems and bring perfect blessing and life abundant to all the families of the earth
Just as Jesus was born of a betrothed virgin, so will the manchild company of the manifested sons of God be birthed out of the betrothed, yet virgin, Church. This Church is the pristine bride without spot or wrinkle, not some conglomeration of all so called churches and all believers. May the Spirit of the living God enlighten the eyes of all who read and give understanding that each may be enabled to discern and easily differentiate between that VIRGIN BRIDE without spot or wrinkle, which Jesus Christ is preparing for Himself, and that filthy HARLOT SYSTEM, full of names of blasphemy, with her multiplied sects and denominations, who seduces the inhabitants of the world with the unspeakable lie that she is, herself, the very bride of the Lamb. Such cannot be, for the Bridegroom says of this little virgin bride, "Thou art all fair, My love: there is no spot in thee...thou hast ravished My heart, My sister, My spouse...how fair is thy love, My sister, My spouse! How much better is thy love than wine! And the smell of thine ointments is like the smell of Lebanon (S. of S. 4.7 11).
In the book of Revelation we have two women described, one is the glorious sun-clad woman of whom we now write and the other is Mystery Babylon riding upon a beast, gorgeously decked with all manner of precious jewels, with rich gaudy apparel and precious stones, having a golden cup in her hand full of "The Wine of Babylon." She has a name on her forehead, "Mystery Babylon, the Great." Notice the difference between these two women in the vision of John. One is clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars upon her head. See how closely she is associated with heaven, and those things of heaven that bless, guide, and quicken mankind. Clothed with the sun, representing light, illumination, understanding, revelation, truth, vision, warmth, life, reality, growth, transformation and blessing of every kind! The wanton harlot, on the other hand, is decorated with worldly apparel, the things that attract those who love earthly things, temporal things, external things of the sense realm, the treasures of the carnal mind. She is decked with unreality's, riding upon the beast of the carnal nature, the antithesis of the righteousness, peace and joy of the Kingdom of God.
When John was shown the great city, Mystery Babylon, we read, "And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters" (Rev. 17:1). Again, when John was shown the New Jerusalem Bride we find, "And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials...and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife" (Rev. 21:9). In each instance the very same angel came and delivered the very same challenge to the astonished Seer of Patmos, "Come hither; I will show unto thee..." These words take on new depth of meaning when we understand that in the book of Revelation the word "come" always signifies AN INVITATION TO REVELATION. The whore and the sun-clad woman are two women; the invitation goes forth to come and see by the Spirit what they mean; and I do not hesitate to tell you that it requires a REVELATION FROM GOD to see either!
One would certainly think that God's people would respond to this invitation to revelation whereby the Spirit says, "COME HITHER, and I will show you," and that they would look with anointed eyes .and readily see the difference between the virgin and the harlot, but such is not the case. Would God that all men could now see the hidden mystery of Christ and the Church! Would God that all men could see the hidden mystery of the virgin sun-clad woman who delivers the manchild! Would God that all men could see that this hidden mystery has nothing to do with that tradition-ridden system which everywhere calls itself THE CHURCH and CHRISTIANITY! The glory of the sun-clad woman represents the pure, unadulterated TRUTH of God permeating and overwhelming the soul. When the soul is truly overwhelmed and subdued by TRUTH, the seed of Christ (spirit) begins to take form within. Think of this, dear reader, for it will lift the sackcloth from your eyes, and you will behold the white-winged dove of SPIRITUAL REALITY descending upon you. Come hither! Arise from the lowlands of ignorance, false consciousness, and mistaken identity; from the harlot Babylon, the soul encumbered with lies, misconceptions, misrepresentations, falsehoods, error, sense-knowledge, tradition, and static creeds and doctrines of men. Arise until you become conscious of THE TRUTH AS IT IS IN JESUS, THE ETERNAL REALITY OF THE SPIRIT, THE OMNISCIENCE AND OMNIPOTENCE OF THE CHRIST WITHIN, and are caught away IN SPIRIT where you can see the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, the city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God, the city of TRUTH and LIFE and REALITY built into a living form and expression through a people who live out of the heavenlies of the SPIRIT. When one ceases to live out of the blindness of the carnal mind and commences to live and move and have his being in the reality of THE SPIRIT he has been transported, as was John, from the glitter of Babylon to the glory of the City of God. Oh glorious City of God! City of Celestial Reality! The description of the city as "foursquare" has a profound meaning. The four sides of our city are: Life, Light, Love and Truth, "and the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there." All who would bring forth the manchild, the manifestation of the Son of God, must dwell there, and walk in this light. Its gates open towards light and glory both within and without, for nothing can enter that city, which "defileth...or maketh a lie." The sons of God shall be born of a chaste, virgin Church, without contradiction, the greatest mother that God has planted on the face of the earth, the Jerusalem which is from above. This Church is not going out with a whimper or a limp. It shall conclude this age victorious, with joy unspeakable and full of glory, and riding a river of peace and blessing and life and power. It shall arise in freedom from all bondage and limitation, with its feet on the neck of every enemy, and the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. The tempter's power shall be broken. God's people shall be holy, strong, anointed, transformed and glorious. Yes--she will be a great WONDER IN HEAVEN! Virgo the Virgin shall be seen exalted in her magnificent splendor by all the inhabitants of the earth! The heavens declare it!
The Heavens Declare-Part 6 (2nd - 3rd) - BACK
Spirit of the Word - Covenant Eschatology - Introductory Note - New Stuff
